Translator: AnubisTL
Most importantly, even after the consecutive falls of two Evil Gods, the foreign demons showed no signs of weakening.
Clearly, the loss of two deities meant nothing to these invaders.
This chilling implication suggested that even greater forces, yet to emerge, might lie behind them.
"According to the divine oracle, the number of foreign demons who followed the Foreign Evil Gods and invaded through the breached planar barrier is indeed substantial," a priest in a corner, clad in holy robes, murmured, his voice carrying divine power.
"They have scattered across the land like a plague, already inflicting considerable damage on our kingdoms and tribes."
"The trouble is," the dwarf elder stroked his beard, his voice rumbling like thunder, "most of their landing points are deep within the allied forces' territory, yet they're so widely dispersed that it's nearly impossible to wipe them out in one fell swoop."
The human king nodded in agreement. "Since the foreign invaders calling themselves wizards intensified their attacks on the main battlefield, most of our strongest warriors are now tied up. We can barely spare any forces to deal with these deeply entrenched parasites."
A brief silence fell over the hall.
These scattered "wizards" were like countless fleas burrowing through their bodies—not particularly lethal, but unbearably irritating and steadily weakening their rear lines.
"What's the progress on reading the souls of the newly invading wizards?" the dragon king, who had remained silent until now, asked in a deep voice.
At his words, everyone's gaze instinctively shifted to one side of the round table.
There, a massive eyeball with several tentacle-like appendages floated silently. It was one of the rulers of the Elosia Plane's underworld: the Demon Eye Clan.
As an intelligent species that had once established an underground empire, the Demon Eyes were inherently aligned with evil. Yet, faced with the crisis threatening the entire plane, they had no choice but to cooperate with other races.
As a naturally malevolent species, the Demon Eyes excelled at manipulating the minds of other creatures. They were equally adept at extracting vital intelligence from the brains and souls of those they controlled.
"...Still no success," a strangely distorted voice emanated from the eyeball.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the Demon Eye itself wasn't speaking. Instead, it was using its immense mental power to manipulate the surrounding air, creating resonant vibrations that mimicked speech.
After all, few weaklings were present, and its telepathic probes couldn't penetrate their mental defenses.
"We've lost three elder-level members in total. It's now almost certain that even the weakest of these foreign demons can't be interrogated through mind-reading or brain-devouring. In fact, they might even retaliate..."
After the Demon Eye finished speaking, the others turned their attention to a dark-skinned elf standing beside it.
The dark elf queen waved her hand casually, yet the simple gesture radiated a soul-stirring allure:
"Useless. Neither torture nor enchantment can extract any information. Their behavior is bizarre. They don't seem to possess such strong willpower, but something is clearly preventing them from revealing anything."
"So, even the weakest of these 'wizards' have been protected at the deepest level of their souls?"
"How troublesome. What could this be? Some kind of racial innate talent?"
"Their behavior doesn't suggest a collective consciousness..."
"Are you suggesting these creatures were modified at birth to invade other worlds?"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
"Everyone," a young mage seated at the far end of the table suddenly spoke up, breaking the heated debate.
He wore simple mage robes, but his eyes held a wisdom beyond his years.
The assembled leaders immediately showed deference to this "young" mage.
Even the leaders of some evil races, while their eyes flashed with wariness, couldn't hide their respect.
The young mage cleared his throat. "I have a suggestion. Given the circumstances, why don't we issue bounties?"
Seeing the puzzled looks, he elaborated, "While the invading 'wizards' are numerous, their strength is relatively weak compared to those on the frontline. They fall within the capabilities of high-level adventurers."
"The real challenge lies in their scattered hiding places throughout the hinterlands, requiring massive manpower and resources for a thorough search. In that case, why not mobilize an equal number of adventurers directly?"
"We can issue high-value bounties, targeting the wizards scattered throughout the hinterlands. This would mobilize the adventurer's guild, compelling them to actively hunt down these targets. By offering substantial rewards, we can recruit a sufficient number of personnel. Even if we fail to eliminate them entirely, we can severely restrict the invaders' movements."
"More importantly," the mage's eyes gleamed with wisdom, "this process will test the strength and loyalty of adventurers who excel in completing the bounties. We can then directly recruit these proven individuals into the armies of various races, even integrating them into knight orders and battle groups to alleviate pressure on the frontline."
These words made the eyes of all the leaders present light up!
They had been trapped in their old ways of thinking. When the wizards first invaded, their overwhelming power had rendered adventurers not only ineffective but even counterproductive.
After all, in a society where transcendent powers existed, truly formidable adventurers had long been absorbed into the nobility, leaving only mediocre misfits behind.
This oversight meant that when dealing with the newly invading wizards, the adventurers weren't immediately considered.
This strategy would not only leverage civilian forces to eliminate the "invading demons" but also replenish their critically depleted ranks with fresh blood, bolstering their military strength.
"Brilliant!" the orc chieftain roared, slamming his fist on the table, his rugged face splitting into a gleeful grin. "Those greedy adventurers will do anything for gold!"
"An excellent idea," the elf queen murmured in agreement, a flicker of admiration in her eyes.
After a brief deliberation, all the leaders unanimously approved the plan.
Bounties and directives cascaded from the palace, swiftly spreading across the Elosia Plane to every adventurer's guild, mercenary tavern, and town notice board.
A silent, nationwide hunt for wizard apprentices had begun.
(End of the Chapter)
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